samedi 11 janvier 2014

Essential Information About FLSA Laws And Regulations

By Marissa Velazquez


In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act was established. The latter is also simply referred to as the FLSA laws. The information defined in this Act affected all working American citizens. Although somewhat controversial when first passed, it revolutionized many aspects concerning labor and wages.

The laws were administered by the United States Labor Department's Wage And Hours division and is enforced at the federal level. The Act was signed into law by then-President Roosevelt, and several attempts to amend the law have been defeated by the Supreme Court, as well as Congress. Although certain changes were made by Congress from time to time concerning this law, it is still very similar to how was originally written.

The Act covers overtime pay, the standard workday, and wages. However, overtime rates are sometimes decided by each state, as specific laws may be different at the state level concerning this aspect. The majority of the law, however, as mentioned above, is enforced nationwide.

Federal minimum wage is increased at regular intervals, but there is no set pattern to the amount of the increase or the time frame of when these changes take place. The most recent change was in January of 2009, when the minimum wage was increased to $7.25 an hour. Roosevelt's bill originally proposed that wage increases follow a set pattern, but this is no longer a part of the law.

As mentioned previously, FLSA laws also address overtime wages, which are classified as any hours one works that exceed the standard forty hour work week. One and a half times the basic pay rate is the amount the federal government has determined to be overtime pay. Even though the original law guarantees a national standard, individual states are allowed to modify this pay to a certain extent.

The aforementioned Act also regulates standards for record-keeping. Companies must maintain logs of each employee's personal information, the rate of pay he or she receives, and the hours the person works. Businesses must also track daily and weekly earnings, overtime pay, and any deductions or additions associated with the individual's compensation. Employers must also define pay so that all workers know the exact hours for which they are being receiving a paycheck.

Standards for youth workers are somewhat different under this law. For example, minors between the ages of fourteen and seventeen may work up to three hours a day, or eighteen hours a week when school is in session. However, they are permitted to work up to a forty hour week, including eight hour work days during holiday periods. Child labor laws prohibit those under fourteen from working in most cases, with the exception of newspaper routes or similar jobs.

FLSA laws are in place to protect American citizens from unfair labor practices. However, certain employers sometimes attempt to circumvent these regulations. For this reason, anyone who feels that he or she is being treated unfairly in a work environment, or anyone who suspects that child labor regulations are being broken, should contact the appropriate authorities as soon as possible.




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